Finally! After a day or two of procrastinating, I finally finished this chapter. I hope you enjoy this and if you could, please leave a review. Thank you.

~ella-chan15

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Disappear

Chapter 4: Understanding

She never knew how she got there, nor where that place was, but there was something about it that made her feel strangely comfortable. It had a sort of familiarity. Elation begins to encase her as she closed her eyes to inhale the sweet scent of the cherry blossoms that perfumed the air around the picturesque precipice. It was a few minutes to sunrise and the sky was beautifully painted in pastel hues of mauves and lilacs fading into the dimness of indigo. She took a deep breath and inhaled the crisp morning air. Suddenly the wind picked up, leaving her wind struck as she shielded her viridian eyes, but at the same instant, taking in the feeling of being one with the ambiance. She felt the dew drops on the grass she stood on with her bare feet; she could hear the sound of birds chirping as they awaken from their slumbers, she could touch the wind with her finger tips. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The feeling of being one with the ambiance instantaneously vanished. She sat on the dew-dropped grass as she stared into the nadir and waited for the colors to dissipate, only to leave an azure sky for her eyes to admire. Gradually, warmth started to engulf her as the lilacs, mauves and indigos of the firmament faded. 'Twas a wonderful feeling, reveling in simple pleasures she had been deprived of for so long.

In an instant, she felt a presence behind her, shielding itself from view behind the cover of the cherry blossom tree. She got to her feet and tried to approach the stranger but he started sprinting away. Compelled by curiosity, she followed the figure. She couldn't make out his face, but there was something oddly familiar about him. Maybe it was the shady hue of his spiked tresses. He'd slowed down his pace a little, striding hastily, as he swept through the myriad of people on the street, but still she ran after him, hoping to catch him. As she passed through the thick crowd, she could no longer spot the figure, with the lustrous crown of ebony hair. Familiarity struck her immediately, as a certain person crossed her mind. But it couldn't be him. If it had, he never would've run away.

She continued her leisurely stroll, but kept a keen eye out for him. Once again, the feeling of familiarity shook her as she laid her eyes on an old bridge and surely enough, there sat the man she sought. She approached him with caution, careful not to startle him. She stood behind him before speaking.

"Excuse me…" That was all she managed to muster.

"You've forgotten haven't you?" His tone hinting disappointment.

"What exactly? Why were you running from me?"

"See? You have."

Though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was hurting. Deeply. Which meant he really did play a role in her former life. She knew what she had to do. She had to interrogate this man. He might be the one that can help her remember everything.

"Do I know you exactly?"

Now she was confused. This strange person, knows her? If so, then he also must know about her past and where she was from. Hope burned inside her. At long last, she'd found her way out of the darkness. He jumped up from his sitting position on the rail of the bridge and faced her. Her delicate features suddenly displayed utter shock. The man before her looked strikingly similar to Itachi, yet his features were softer.

"You've forgotten Sakura."

She stood up with a jolt. Sweat trickled down the sides of her face. Who was the man? Was it a memory or just another dream? She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It read 3 o'clock. Falling back onto the bed, she let her eyelids fall shot. Unfortunately for her, all signs of slumber had disappeared, and now she was left tossing and turning. Without thinking, she headed out the door, her body seemingly on auto pilot as she went down the hall and knocked on his door. The rustling of sheets on the other side of the door indicated that he'd already stood up. He was a light sleeper, and that didn't shock her. He was always on his highest guard, even in unconsciousness. The door opened, revealing a very irked, and very shirtless, Uchiha. His gaze softened when it lingered on her.

"Might I ask what you necessitate in the middle of the night blossom?"

"I'm very sorry for waking you Itachi, but I couldn't sleep."

He gesticulated for her to come in, she obliged by entering then she sat on the window sill, as she hugged her knees. Itachi had already recognized something was wide of the mark, right from the moment she knocked on his door. That was something she'd constantly do when she was troubled. He approached her, and sat opposite to her, his eyes never leaving her as she idly gazed out the window. He knew that look. Her mind was somewhere distant. It was amusing how he could interpret her so very effortlessly, and she very well knew that. Her gaze landed on him, viridian meeting obsidian, conveying him a tacit plea for help. Just like that she came up to him and embraced him. His only response was to stroke her hair. He knew she found comfort in doing this, when words botched her and little did she know, he found just as much of it, maybe even more. This act of affection never had any malice to them; it just helped them to cope. Cope with the life they had chosen for themselves. Whether they want to admit it or not, they were star-crossed vagabonds, itinerant the same sinister thoroughfare. They had no abode waiting for them, no loved ones to care for them. All they had was each other, and at this moment, that was all they needed. Long moments of silence passed between them, both waiting for Sakura to find her voice again.

"I couldn't sleep because… I had a dream."

His silence meant for her to go on.

"There was a guy, he looked like he was my age. He accused me of forgetting him. Which pained me a lot. It grew tenfold when I saw pain etched on his features; pain I had caused. He looked at me with obsidian eyes that resembled yours. Then I woke up. I don't know if that was a memory or just another dream, but I can still feel his pain Itachi."

She buried her head in his chest, seeking as much warmth and comfort as she could. From the beginning of her tale, he knew who she was referring to. His dear otouto, Sasuke. The thought that she still loved his inane little brother pained him. Though he would never say it out loud, he cared for Sakura, much more than she thinks he does. He was being a selfish hypocrite. If he really cared, he would've let her go. He would've never lied to her the fateful day he found her, and led her back to the borders of Fire Country. But he chose to deceive her, make her go through all this pain. But was he? It was all for Sasuke. No matter how twisted it sounded. When Sasuke killed him, he could be with Sakura again. The thought destroyed him inside. He would be cast aside, considered the villain he never was, and untimely forgotten. But at least the person he sacrificed his entire existence for would be happy right? With the woman he loves, the one that loves him back. Though he could turn back, can't he? Throw away the plan he'd perfectly orchestrated since he was thirteen. He can't. That'd be too selfish of him. That'd also mean that she would be his, and his brother would suffer. He could never do it. His conscience would never let him. He deserved everything that he planned. There was no justification for killing his own family, even though they were orders.

The silence stretched on. It wasn't welcome, but it wasn't uncomfortable either. It was just that neither had anything left to say. The presence of each other seemed enough.

After a few more minutes, Sakura's lids felt heavy and slowly shut close. She and Itachi haven't moved from their position on the window sill, and it wasn't that neither of them minded it at all. When he felt her relax, he soon figured that she was asleep. His mind screamed at him to carry her back to her room but his muscles felt too weary. He just let him drift off to sleep.

Verdant eyes slowly started opening. A masculine scent perforated her senses. That was the only time she recalled where she was. She was in Itachi's room, and they fell asleep on the window sill. She also felt his masculine arms around her. A blush crept up to her cheeks as she looked at his face. He looked so peaceful, his long eyelashes touching his cheekbones, his breathing tranquil. She smiled to herself and once again rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeats. She'd never have the courage to tell him what he really meant to her. She cared for him, more than he thinks she does. Without warning, her nose started itching as she let out a quite sneeze. As she'd expected, that was enough to wake him. He looked down at her with soft expression in his eyes.

"Good morning." He said monotonously polite and removed his arms from around her waist.

"Good morning to you too." She replied with a smile as she backed away.

"I'm sorry I troubled you last night Itachi-kun."

"It is no problem Sakura."

"Thank you very much Itachi-kun." She said with a knowing smile.

'Twas inevitable. That faint knock on the door.

"Itachi-san, Pein-sama told Tobi to tell you that breakfast will be served in fifteen minutes."

And cue the flying hearts and whimsical music, Tobi walked, pranced rather, away. Sakura stood up and bid Itachi another thank you and left for her room. That morning, much to everyone's surprise, she was early for breakfast. Kisame and Deidara actually cheered. Yes, cheered. She gave them both a smack on the head for being so damn stupid, and that it embarrassed her immensely considering that it meant that that was one of the very few times she was early, and then breakfast had commenced.

"I would like to inform some of you that you shall be assigned on a mission. Some being Itachi and Sakura. Please be at my office no later than noon so you can have your briefing."

They both nodded in silent response.

Breakfast had commenced at it habitually did, constant bickering courtesy of Kisame, Deidara and Tobi, glances between her and Itachi, and the ever so present ogling. She was used to all that stuff, due to the fact that she's been there for almost two years, but it still surprised her sometimes when Kisame, Deidara, or sometimes even both, would ogle at her and Itachi's silent moments and go whispering to each other with mischievous looks on their faces. They'd stop only when Itachi would start to give off that menacing aura that silently said, leave-us-the-fuck-alone-or-I'll-strangle-you-with-your-own-intestines. When it was all over, they all went away to do their own businesses. Immediately, Sakura and Itachi followed Pein to his office. It was located at the furthest part of the headquarters. The room was dark, due to the lack of windows, and it had that menacing feeling about it which made an uncomfortable shiver run up Sakura's spine. Though she'd been here numerous times, she still can't hide the feeling of dread that comes by every time she's here. Pein sat on the chair behind his desk and Konan appeared beside him.

"You are to go on a mission in Cloud. There've been signs of the eight-tailed bijuu and I want the two of you to investigate. If you encounter it, capture it and return it here immediately. I expect you return in no less than 4 months. Understood?"

"Yes Leader-sama."

"You are to leave this afternoon."

With that, they left. Sakura let out a long sigh. One that she'd been holding since the moment they entered Pein's office. She looked up at Itachi with a faint smile. It had many meanings within it, but Itachi was always able to figure that out.

"Yey! We're finally getting out of this stuffy place."

Itachi just remained silent. She pouted slightly at him, and stopped on her tracks.

"You don't seem happy about this Itachi-kun. Don't you want to spend some quality time with me?" She said with fake misery.

"You are quite the stubborn little girl aren't you Sakura?" His words countering hers with fake annoyance.

She just giggled in response. He stared at her, once again in awe of all her naivety and innocence. Never in his life had he experienced this kind of happiness, naivety and innocence, even before the murder of his clan. At the young age if six, he had his first kill. He was one of the noble shinobi who fought in the third shinobi war, something he was not proud of. He'd seen many things, imaged that have been permanently planted in his memory, ones that he can never forget. The horrors of those encounters were just one of many that maimed his life. At the same age, he'd graduated from the academy, when he turned twelve, he was forced to join the ANBU and just a year later, he was promoted to ANBU Squad Captain. His achievements were unheard of, and nobody could dare equal them. He was born with talent, talent that was honed and the cursed thing that made him into an emotionless killing machine, meant to be used by his clan to gain sovereignty over Konoha, and they almost succeeded at that. There was something deep inside of him that prevented him from doing that, the very thought that made him tell The Sandaime of his clan's evil plans. He was too much of a pacifist and chose the greater good. He didn't want another war. Looking back at all those memories, destroyed him, eating up what little soul he had left, but that never made him regret any of the decisions he's made regarding his past. If he hadn't done it, the consequences would've indeed been calamitous. He would never let his beloved otouto turn out the way he did, a pawn for their clan's power-hungry motives. And that love, was the only thing that kept him going to this day. He spared his brother's life by paying a heavy price. He would be the villain, and his brother would be the hero. The deceived. Forever kept in the dark. He'd never tell his brother the truth regarding the motives behind the massacre. Knowing him, he'll do something foolish and act on impulse, therefore resulting in his eternal banishment from Konoha. That would just make him suffer more. He snapped out of his thoughts when Sakura started playing with his ponytail.

He just gave her that look, which she already knows the meaning of.

"What? You were in one of your, I'm-so-deep-in-thought moods, and I was in one of my, I'm-bored-as-hell-moods."

He just huffed at her slightly. She hugged his arm in response.

"Aw. C'mon! Don't be like that Itachi-kun."

He sighed. There was no winning with her. She sent a satisfactory smirk his way before walking down the hall. He walked in the same direction, anxious to have a spar with the little spit-fire.

After a three-hour sparring match with Itachi, Sakura felt as drained as ever. He'd been extra keen on today's match, probably in preparation for their departure for Cloud. Her legs gave way and she almost fainted out of sheer exhaustion. Luckily the soft grass broke her fall, as she immediately closed her eyes and started drifting off. Those stupid dreams always got the best of her. She didn't sleep so well the night before and that didn't sit well with the idea of her regaining all her chakra. Curiosity started to get the best of her again. Who was the person in her dream? She was beyond baffled. He could've helped. But just then, somnolence finally took control of her as she let herself fall in a light sleep. She knew all too well that Itachi was watching her, but that just gave her all the more reason to drift off. He didn't rebuke her, which meant she really needed this. He always knew what was best for her, even if she herself didn't.

He watched her intently, her deep breaths as she lay there sleeping, how relaxed her expression was. She was so beautiful, so innocent. Even with her eyes closed like this, she was still angelic. Absent-mindedly, he brushed some stray locks of candy-colored hair away from her face. He was never an affectionate one, but she always managed to bring the best out of him. As if on cue she opened her eyes lazily, it was like she felt his gaze on her, and looked at him with that ever so beautiful smile on her face and just like that, her eye lids started fluttering close, sleep engulfing her once more. If only life was as simple as staring into her emerald eyes.

Alright. That was kinda short ne? But don't fret. I've already written out a draft for the rest of this story, which I'll hopefully be typing out in a week or so, one by one. It's a guarantee that I'll finish this story swiftly and afterwards, I might or might not sketch some scenes for this fic. You're free to as well, and if you're brimming with ideas for this, please let me know. Any participation of my readers is wholly welcome.